John Lydon: “The riots are going to lead to something far far worse”

Public Image Ltd.'s John Lydon has said he fears that last summer's riots are the precursor to "something far, far worse".

Speaking in this week's issue of NME, which is on UK newsstands and available digitally now, Lydon has said he was "deeply ashamed" of how the government handled the situation and that you can still "feel the tension" on the streets.

Public Image Ltd.‘s John Lydon has said he fears that last summer’s riots are the precursor to “something far, far worse”.

Speaking in this week’s issue of NME, which is on UK newsstands and available digitally now, Lydon has said he was “deeply ashamed” of how the government handled the situation and that you can still “feel the tension” on the streets.

Asked for his take on last summer’s riots, Lydon replied: “I was very upset with it. People got killed. It was a great tragedy, a great tragedy caused by a government and a police force that’s completely indifferent to what young people have as a future. They’re given nothing now, even less than when I was young and that hurts me deeply.”

Then asked if he thought this was a sign of things to come, Lydon added: “It’s definitely going to lead to something far, far worse. It’s brewing. It’s palpable. You can feel the tension. It’s waiting to go off like an enormous bomb. It will be blamed on the kids on the street, and it isn’t their fault. I’m very deeply ashamed of a government that doesn’t have a clue what’s going on.”

Lydon is preparing to release his first album with PiL in 20 years, This Is PiL, on May 28.